Wednesday, 29 April 2009

Skim / Mariko & Jillian Tamaki

Summary - After a boy at school takes his own life, teen-witch Skim's fragile world seems to topple and turn upside down too. In witty, moving and painfully honest diary entries Skim confides the frenzy of grief that surrounds her, while deep down she struggles with her own loneliness and the secret inner stirrings she feels when falling in love for the first time. (Graphic Novel)

Review - Skim is a humorous read about teenage disillusionment with adults, the middle class and one another. The narrative is witty and entertaining with a dead-panned edge. The illustrations compliment Mariko's snarky words with their detail alternating between soft and hard lines. The minimalism of the drawings compliments the spartan words. The writing is tight and utilises equations to demonstrate Skim's thoughts with great humour (eg my parents = serious issues.)